Among the players who were part of Sri Lanka’s most recent Test assignment, the two-match series in New Zealand, fast bowlers Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara have been rested according to news reports, while Asitha Fernando, Oshada Fernando and Chamika Karunaratne have also been left out.
Madushka made his debut in Sri Lanka’s most recent Test match in Wellington, the second of their recent tour of New Zealand, replacing Dickwella who made 7 and 0 in the first Test in Christchurch. Dickwella, who averages 30.97 after 54 Tests, has only once passed 15 in his last eight Test innings.
Samarawickrama returns to the Test squad after a long gap, having played the last of his four Tests – all of them as a specialist batter – in December 2017.
Sri Lanka squad for Ireland Tests: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Nishan Madusha (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Dushan Hemantha, Lasith Embuldeniya, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Milan Rathnayake